Animal Testing Would Not Prevent Synthetic Cannabis Deaths

In relation to the recent deaths in Auckland caused by synthetic cannabis use, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has stated that ‘…the testing regime is now in place, but it is not functional because the Government banned the use of animal testing … a non-animal test has not yet been developed which can provide robust results about the risk level of a drug.”

The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS) is appalled that the ban on animal research to determine the toxicity of recreational drugs is being scapegoated in this way.

“Animal testing for toxicology is no longer standard practice globally, due to the significant problems posed by attempting to extrapolate data from one species to another” stated NZAVS Campaign Manager Cressida Wilson. “There are many testing methods that researchers could be utilising that use human tissues to predict a human response.”

“Psychoactives testing on animals was banned due to the overwhelming opposition to the practice shown by the New Zealand public. The deaths of these people are tragic, but blame cannot be assigned to the psychoactives ban,” said Ms. Wilson.

Read more here: www.nzavs.org.nz/news/2017/07/25/animal-testing-would-not-prevent-synthetic-cannabis-deaths/

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